Feed supplements are generally made from molasses and other nutrients and are generally manufactured in the form of either a liquid feed supplement, or a solid block supplement known as a feed block. Mineral supplements are also known and provide salt and other important minerals in either a granular form or in the form of a block. Such supplements are consumed by livestock in order to provide the desired nutrients. The present invention is directed to an improved feed block that combines a high energy feed supplement with a mineral supplement.
Feed and mineral supplements are desirable in that when used to supplement an animal's diet, the animal's productivity can be improved significantly. Productivity includes factors such as weight gain, lactation and reproduction. Feed supplements can also improve an animal's efficiency both by increasing the rate of digestion for the forages consumed and in the improved metabolism of the nutrients provided by the diet. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,961,081 to McKenzie and 4,749,578 to Benton and Patrick disclose prior art feed blocks and the methods and apparatus for making them. These patents are incorporated herein by reference.
Like feed supplements, mineral supplements are an important consideration in raising domesticated livestock. Mineral supplements are important because, with the exception of salt (sodium chloride), domesticated livestock have generally lost their instinct for most minerals. By ensuring that livestock consume an appropriate amount of minerals, the long term health of the animals can be improved. However, because domesticated animals have generally lost their instinct for minerals, it can be difficult to get the animals to consume the much needed minerals. Consequently, most ranchers either ignore the livestock's need for minerals or use methods that fail to achieve the desired goal other than for salt. While an animal's life is not generally endangered by the lack of mineral supplementation, the animal's overall health, and, therefore, its productivity can be improved by the routine consumption of mineral supplements.
Mineral supplements have been provided, with some success, by combining the desired minerals with salt in either a block or in a granular form that can be consumed by the animals. Because livestock have a natural affinity for salt, the livestock tend to consume the important minerals along with the salt. However, regulating the proper intake of such minerals has often been difficult. In order to regulate their consumption, mineral supplements have also been provided as a part of the mixture in a feed block. While such a supplement has met with some success, especially where low amounts of mineral supplement are desired, where higher amounts of mineral supplement are desired, the resulting feed block is not as palatable as a traditional dehydrated molasses feed block. Consequently, the animals tend not to consume the desired quantity of supplement.
An improved feed block that is capable of providing both a high energy feed supplement and a mineral supplement is desired.